Shkodran Mustafi has reflected on his time in the Premier League so far, and believes the English top-flight in the toughest in the world.
After spending three years at Everton, making just one senior appearance, Mustafi has gained a real experience of English football since he joined Arsenal player in the summer of 2016.
He said he’s learned a lot during his time in England, noting that the Premier League’s intensity has been the toughest thing to come to grips with. Mustafi believes the league’s physical nature makes it the toughest in the world to play in.
“I knew that before, but now that I’ve played a lot of games it is just something you can feel, your body feels really tired because you have a lot of games and you’re not used to it, which shows you that the league is really intense.
“I think because we have a lot of big players in the Premier League and because the type of game we play here is very quick, it’s not a defensive game or a tactical game where we just stand there and try and not make a mistake, it’s more of a game where we try and go to score goals.
Mustafi went on to explain that he’s grown as a player thanks to the experience he’s received playing with and against top players.
The German international has had a good start to his Arsenal career, after taking his time to adjust in his debut campaign. The Gunners went unbeaten for 22 games when he was in the team during his first season.
He went on to lift the FA Cup at the end of the campaign, though he ended up being linked with a move away during the summer. This season, however, he’s moved into the middle of the back three and has improved his form.
So far, Mustafi has yet to concede a goal in a game in which he, Laurent Koscielny and Nacho Monreal have started together. The relationship between the three is getting better with every game. Long may it continue throughout the season.